1. Up and at it - what is your morning routine?
For the past year, I’ve been trying to meditate as soon as I wake up, rather than going straight for my phone. Once I’m up, there’s usually breakfast and school lunch to make, but a small ritual I’ve created is to open the front door and stand in the fresh air for a moment before starting into all that. It feels like I’m letting the day in – usually, I’ll hear birdsong or foxes, the wind or the rain – something that will make me smile and remind me to stay grounded.
2. What might you eat in a typical working day for...
Breakfast? Porridge is a go-to, but if I’m out for work rather than working from home, aspirations of porridge can very easily slide into an almond croissant and a flat white.
Lunch? Usually something very simple and snacky – bread and cheese or nut butter, rice cakes, nuts, fruit, dark chocolate... Occasionally, I get very organised at the weekend and make soup that sees me through the week.
Evening meal? I love cooking and we spend a lot of time hanging out in the kitchen. Making dinner is one of my favourite times of day. My son is vegan, so the menu varies, but it’s all meat and dairy-free – pasta, curries, casseroles and big salads are my week-day go-tos.
3. Is nutrition important to you – do you take health supplements?
Nutrition is really important, particularly with eating mainly vegan. We have to be careful that we are getting enough B12 and calcium, so we take some supplements or use fortified plant milks.
Often lifts are broken – especially at train stations – and there is no real apology about this, which I find incredibly problematic as it’s an access requirement
— Jody O’Neill
4. Ever been on a diet – if so, how did it go?
I had an eating disorder in my teens, so I steer clear of diets. I think they can easily lead to a rigid and unhealthy mind-set about food and that’s something I’ve worked really hard to get rid of. I try to tune all that out and just listen to my body.
5. Weekend treat?
Friday brunch at a local cafe after yoga class, if I’m not working. It’s the perfect slope into the weekend.
6. How do you keep physically and mentally fit?
I walk a lot and that covers it for me physically and mentally. I do yoga most days too – even if it’s only a 10-20 minutes’ practice.
7. Best tip for everyday fitness?
A little is better than nothing.
8. Were you a fan of schools sports/PE or do you have a memory from those days that you would rather forget?
I hated PE – I have no hand-eye coordination, so I was terrible at ball sports. My worst memory would be fitness tests and everyone being weighed in front of the whole class. I can’t believe they thought that was okay. I hope it doesn’t happen anymore.
9. Teetotal or tipple?
Tipple, but I’ll usually have a month or two in the year where I don’t drink at all.
10. Stairs or lift?
I find this a tricky question. Not everyone has the choice about whether they use lift or stairs. I might opt to take the stairs for environmental reasons and also for sensory input, but if I’m with a friend who’s a wheelchair user, then we are dependent on lifts. Often lifts are broken – especially at train stations – and there is no real apology about this, which I find incredibly problematic as it’s an access requirement.
- ‘Since my ADHD diagnosis, theatre has been a complete lifeline for me’ - Legally Blonde’s Karen HawthorneOpens in new window
- ‘I’m learning to cook more than four meals’ - 20 questions with theatre director Cathie BoydOpens in new window
- ‘We take our voices for granted and, as a singer, it’s terrifying when it starts playing up’ - Opera singer Jenny BourkeOpens in new window
11. What book are you currently reading?
I’ve just finished Julia by Sandra Newman and I’m reading a collection of short stories, Five Tuesdays in Winter, by Lily King.
12. Best Netflix/streaming TV?
As my son gets older, I’m really enjoying watching something with him in the evenings. It’s been a very Star Trek heavy year in my house – Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and most recently Picard.
13. Any new skills or hobbies?
Daily sea swimming. I’ve been doing that for the past four years and it’s a game-changer.
14. How do you relax?
Long walks, reading, listening to music and cooking.
15. What would you tell your younger self?
I’d tell myself not to be so afraid of everything - and especially don’t be terrified to be myself. It’s partly an autistic masking thing, so I became a people pleaser very early and I’m still working hard to stop that being my default.
16. What are your goals for 2024?
Wind down. Say ‘No’ to more things. Dance more. Use my phone less. Keep swimming.
17. What time do you get to bed and do you think you get enough sleep?
I feel like I’m running up a bit of a tab at the sleep bar at the moment. Ideally, I’m good with seven hours, but I’m averaging about five at the moment.. Different people need different things at different times, though, so I don’t get too hung up about it.
18. Biggest gripe or regret?
Lack of access for disabled people with both visible and invisible disabilities. Things are gradually getting better, but we have such a long way to go on this socially, in education, in employment, in arts and culture. Festivals like Bounce are crucial in changing perspectives, so I’m thrilled to be presenting work there this year.
I remember everyone being weighed in front of the whole class. I can’t believe they thought that was okay. I hope it doesn’t happen anymore
— Jody O’Neill
19. Have your priorities in life or perspectives changed?
I’ve been trying to let go of perfectionism as I think it can be a really destructive force. I’m focusing more on being ‘good enough’ – as a parent, as a person, as a creator. I think it’s a healthier approach.
20. Has coronavirus – or any health epiphany or life event - changed your attitude towards your own mortality?
I think getting older is changing me more than anything else. It’s a dawning epiphany rather than a sudden thing. I’m really leaning into the words of John O’Donohue in terms of leading the life I would love, postponing my dream no longer and wasting my heart on fear no more.
